Cable conduit electrical box

ABSTRACT

A cable conduit electrical box including a base having at least one opening for receiving a cable conduit, a cover removably attachable to the base, and an adapter removably positioned on the base or the cover for sealing the at least one opening around the cable conduit. The adapter may be secured with mounting tabs or mounting apertures.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/190,066, filed on Feb. 25, 2014, to Baldwin etal., titled CABLE CONDUIT ELECTRICAL BOX that issues as U.S. Pat. No.10,109,989 on Oct. 23, 2018, which application claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/775,528, filed on Mar. 9, 2013,the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to cable conduit andmore specifically to cable conduit electrical boxes for securing anelectrical device which hides line voltage cables and low voltage cableson a wall for a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

2. Background Art

Electrical cords and plugs are well known and are used to provideelectrical current to a number of devices. Modern televisions are lightenough to be hung on the wall, yet still need to be connected to anelectrical outlet. In new construction, an electrical outlet can belocated where a television will ultimately be mounted, yet the majorityof households have electrical outlets near the floor. In theseinstances, the television electrical cable droops from the mountedtelevision to reach the electrical outlet near the floor and creates anunsightly appearance. Further, DVD players, cable boxes, and similardevices which play through the television must be connected to thetelevision with an HDMI cable or other suitable cable. These cables thenmust be run up the wall and further clutters the television'sappearance. In other applications an electrical box may not be properlypositioned and a homeowner would then have to cut into the wall and runappropriate electrical wiring behind the wall.

SUMMARY

Aspects of this disclosure relate to an aesthetically pleasing cableconduit and electrical boxes. In one aspect, a cable conduit electricalbox including a base having at least one opening for receiving a cableconduit, a cover removably attachable to the base, and an adapterremovably positioned on the base or the cover for sealing the at leastone opening around the cable conduit.

In an implementation, the adapter may further include at least onemounting tab engageable with the base or the cover. The adapter mayfurther include three mounting tabs engageable with the base or thecover. The adapter may further include an aperture corresponding to awidth and a height of the cable conduit. The adapter may not include anaperture where the cable conduit is absent. The adapter may be slidablyengaged in the cover.

The cover may further include a track arranged to receive the adapter.The track may further include a locking tab. The adapter may furtherinclude a locking tab arranged for engagement with the track lockingtab. The adapter may further include removable portions to receive cableconduit of a smaller dimension. The base may further include at leastone mounting pin. The at least one mounting pin may be positionedadjacent the at least one opening. The adapter may further include atleast one mounting aperture. The adapter at least one mounting aperturemay be secured to the at least one opening. The adapter may furtherinclude a tab engageable with a track in the cover.

In another aspect, a cable conduit electrical box includes a base havingat least one opening for receiving a cable conduit and at least onemounting device adjacent the at least one opening, a cover removablysecured to the base, an adapter having at least one mounting apertureand a conduit aperture, and wherein the adapter at least one mountingaperture is engaged with the base at least one mounting device.

In another aspect, the method of mounting a cable conduit electrical boxincludes the steps of providing the cable conduit electrical box havinga base, a cover, and an adapter, mounting the base to a wall, mountingthe cable conduit to the wall with an end of the cable conduit adjacentan opening in the base, selecting the adapter having an conduit openingsized to seal the cable conduit, mounting the adapter to the base or thecover, and installing the cover to the base.

In an implementation, the step of mounting the adapter may include thestep of mounting the adapter to the base. The step of mounting theadapter may include the step of mounting the adapter to the cover. Themethod may include the step of positioning the adapter in a track withinthe cover.

Aspects and applications of the disclosure presented here are describedbelow in the drawings and detailed description. Unless specificallynoted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specificationand the claims be given their plain, ordinary, and accustomed meaning tothose of ordinary skill in the applicable arts. The inventors are fullyaware that they can be their own lexicographers if desired. Theinventors expressly elect, as their own lexicographers, to use only theplain and ordinary meaning of terms in the specification and claimsunless they clearly state otherwise and then further, expressly setforth the “special” definition of that term and explain how it differsfrom the plain and ordinary meaning. Absent such clear statements ofintent to apply a “special” definition, it is the inventors' intent anddesire that the simple, plain and ordinary meaning to the terms beapplied to the interpretation of the specification and claims.

The inventors are also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar.Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be furthercharacterized, specified, or narrowed in some way, then such noun, term,or phrase will expressly include additional adjectives, descriptiveterms, or other modifiers in accordance with the normal precepts ofEnglish grammar. Absent the use of such adjectives, descriptive terms,or modifiers, it is the intent that such nouns, terms, or phrases begiven their plain, and ordinary English meaning to those skilled in theapplicable arts as set forth above.

The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages will beapparent to those artisans of ordinary skill in the art from theDESCRIPTION and DRAWINGS, and from the CLAIMS.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described inconjunction with the appended drawings, where like designations denotelike elements, and:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable conduit electrical box mountedon a wall with cable conduit connected.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a first implementation cable conduitelectrical box.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the first implementation cable conduitelectrical box cover and an adapter.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the section labeled A in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first implementation cable conduitelectrical box cover and adapter.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of a cable conduit electrical box with cableconduit connected.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a second implementation cable conduitelectrical box with adapters.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the second implementation cable conduitelectrical box with the cover separated from the base and adapters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure, its aspects and implementations, are not limited to thespecific components or assembly procedures disclosed herein. Manyadditional components and assembly procedures known in the artconsistent with the intended operation and assembly procedures for acable conduit electrical box will become apparent for use withimplementations of a cable conduit electrical box from this disclosure.Accordingly, for example, although particular components are disclosed,such components and other implementing components may comprise anyshape, size, style, type, model, version, measurement, concentration,material, quantity, and/or the like as is known in the art for suchimplementing components, consistent with the intended operation of acable conduit electrical box.

FIGS. 1 through 6 illustrate a first implementation cable conduitelectrical box 10 having a base 12 and a cover 14, the cable conduitelectrical box 10 arranged to receive cable conduit 16 in connectionwith the base 12 and cover 14. Referring to FIG. 2, base 10 may includea plurality of base openings 18 and a central opening 20 for receivingan electrical device or other suitable component. Base openings 18 maybe positioned on each straight side of base 12 or in any suitablelocation which is arranged to receive cable conduit 16. The baseopenings are preferably sized and shaped to receive cable conduit of thelargest commercially available size so that the cable conduit electricalbox 10 is generally universally sized. Further, base openings 18 aregenerally recessed within base 12 enough so that the cable conduit 16end portions may be protected and retained at least partially within thecable conduit electrical box 10. For example, base 12 and cover 14 maybe any suitable shape, including, but not limited to, round, square,rectangular, or octagonal. The base 12 may also include various knownprotrusions for receiving and holding the cover 14 in a snap-like orlocking mechanism as will be discussed in greater detail below.

Adapters 22 may be sized to suitably fit within the area of baseopenings 18, with the adapters 22 having a body 24 and conduit openings26 of various sizes. The adapters may further include at least one ormore adapter tabs 28 and one or more of the adapter tabs 28 may includea locking tab 30. In one implementation, the cable conduit electricalbox 10 includes a plurality of adapters 22 with different sizes ofconduit openings 26 that are arranged to fit various width and height ofcable conduit 16. Further, adapters 22 may include blanks or othersuitable filler components that do not include conduit openings 26 forbase openings 18 which are not receiving cable conduit 16 toadvantageously seal the cable conduit electrical box 10.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate various views of cover 14 and an interior cavity 44with a cover track 32 having a cover track slot 34 and a track lockingtab 36. Further, cover connectors 38 are shown which are used tointeract with base 12 to removably secure the cover 14 to the base 12.As shown in FIG. 3, cover track slot 34 may include one or more tracksarranged to align with and receive adapters 22 and specifically adaptertabs 28 therein. In the implementation shown, three adapter tabs 28 areshown and three corresponding cover track slots 34 are used to receivethe three adapter tabs 28, although any suitable number of mounting tabsmay be utilized. The adapters 22, cover tracks 32, and track slots 34are preferably positioned at each location on base 12 and cover 14 wherecable conduit 16 may be positioned. The track slots 34 may also includethe locking tab 36 arranged for engagement with adapter locking tab 30when adapter 22 is positioned within the track slots 34.

As can be envisioned from the illustrations, it is advantageous to firstsecure base 12 to a wall structure and then cut cable conduit 16 to theappropriate length so that it terminates within base opening 18. Withthe terminating end of cable conduit 16 positioned within base opening18, the user then selects an adapter 22 having an appropriately sizedadapter conduit opening 26 and the adapter 22 is secured within cover 14and cover track slot 34 until adapter locking tab 30 engages tracklocking tab 36. The user will also insert any suitable blank adapters,or those adapters without adapter conduit openings 26 therein and locatethe blank adapters in any cover track slots 34 which are not receivingcable conduit 16. The user may then secure the cover 14 to base 12 tothereby enclose the cable conduit electrical box 10 with cable conduit16 appropriately positioned within the base 12 and cover 14 and sealedfrom the surrounding environment as can also be seen in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate another implementation of a cable conduitelectrical box 10 having structure similar to the first implementationdescribed above. Immediately noticeable differences are a plurality ofmounting pins 40 positioned on base 12 adjacent base openings 18.Specifically, in one application, mounting pins 40 are positioned oneach side of each base opening 18 such that, by way of non-limitingexample, when four base openings 18 are utilized, there may be 8mounting pins 40 in base 12. Adapters 22 may also be slightly modifiedto incorporate body 24 having conduit openings 26 arranged to beselectively sized for various cable conduits 16. The adapters 22 mayfurther include a mounting tab 28 with a locking tab 30 to connect theadapter to cover 14. Specifically, adapters 22 include one or moreadapter mounting apertures 42 which are aligned with and arranged to besecurely mated with mounting pins 40 to seal the area around cableconduit 16 and base 18 or the area of base 18 if no cable conduit isutilized. Once again, adapters 22 may include a variety of differentconduit openings 26, may be blank (i.e. not have any conduit opening),and/or may have removable portions such that the user can remove anynecessary adapter portions and select the appropriate sized conduitopening 26.

While installation is similar to the first implementation, the user maydecide to install the adapters on base 12 before installing cover 14 ormay select to install the adapters within cover 14 initially.Additionally, the adapter mounting apertures 42 and base mounting pin 40arrangement allows for better alignment between the base 12, adapters22, and cover 14 so that an easier installation is achieved.

It will be understood that implementations are not limited to thespecific components disclosed herein, as virtually any componentsconsistent with the intended operation of a method and/or systemimplementation for a cable conduit electrical box may be utilized.Components may comprise any shape, size, style, type, model, version,class, grade, measurement, concentration, material, weight, quantity,and/or the like consistent with the intended operation of a methodand/or system implementation for a cable conduit electrical box.

The concepts disclosed herein are not limited to the specificimplementations shown herein. For example, it is specificallycontemplated that the components included in a particular implementationof a cable conduit device may be formed of any of many different typesof materials or combinations that can readily be formed into shapedobjects and that are consistent with the intended operation of a cableconduit electrical box. For example, the components may be formed of:rubbers (synthetic and/or natural) and/or other like materials; polymersand/or other like materials; plastics, and/or other like materials;composites and/or other like materials; metals and/or other likematerials; alloys and/or other like materials; and/or any combination ofthe foregoing.

Furthermore, embodiments of the cable conduit electrical box may bemanufactured separately and then assembled together, or any or all ofthe components may be manufactured simultaneously and integrally joinedwith one another. Manufacture of these components separately orsimultaneously may involve extrusion, pultrusion, vacuum forming,injection molding, blow molding, resin transfer molding, casting,forging, cold rolling, milling, drilling, reaming, turning, grinding,stamping, cutting, bending, welding, soldering, hardening, riveting,punching, plating, and/or the like. If any of the components aremanufactured separately, they may then be coupled or removably coupledwith one another in any manner, such as with adhesive, a weld, afastener, any combination thereof, and/or the like for example,depending on, among other considerations, the particular material(s)forming the components.

In places where the description above refers to particularimplementations of a cable conduit electrical box, it should be readilyapparent that a number of modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit thereof and that these implementations may be applied toother cable conduit electrical boxes. The accompanying claims areintended to cover such modifications as would fall within the truespirit and scope of the disclosure set forth in this document. Thepresently disclosed implementations are, therefore, to be considered inall respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of thedisclosure being indicated by the appended claims rather than theforegoing description. All changes that come within the meaning of andrange of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

We claim:
 1. A cable conduit electrical box comprising: a base having afront surface and being mountable to a wall, the base having at leastone opening for receiving a cable conduit and at least two mounting pinsextending forward of the base, one of the at least two mounting pins oneach side of the at least one opening; a cover removably attached to thebase and covering substantially all of the front surface of the base,the cover having at least one track having a track slot on an insidesurface of the cover, wherein the at least one track is oriented to facethe base when the cover is positioned on the base; and an adapter havingat least one mounting tab oriented to be removably positioned within theat least one track and at least two adapter mounting apertures orientedto be removably positioned around the at least two mounting pins;wherein the at least one track and the adapter are positioned betweenthe base and the cover when the cover is attached to the base.
 2. Thecable conduit electrical box of claim 1, the adapter further comprisinga conduit opening extending therethrough, the conduit opening beingpositioned adjacent to the front surface of the base when the at leasttwo adapter mounting apertures is oriented around the at least twomounting pins.
 3. The cable conduit electrical box of claim 1, the coverfurther comprising at least two cover connectors on the inside surfaceof the cover, the at least two cover connectors extending inward of theinside surface and configured to engage a portion of the base when thecover is removably attached to the base.
 4. The cable conduit electricalbox of claim 1, the cover further comprising a locking tab on the insidesurface of the cover at the track slot.
 5. The cable conduit electricalbox of claim 1, the base further comprising a base opening positioned onat least one edge of the base.
 6. The cable conduit electrical box ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one track and the at least two mountingpoles are in physical contact with the adapter when the at least twoadapter mounting apertures oriented are removably positioned around theat least two mounting pins.
 7. The cable conduit electrical box of claim1, further comprising at least two adapters positioned between the baseof the cover on at least two sides of the base.
 8. The cable conduitelectrical box of claim 1, further comprising at least three adapterspositioned between the base and the cover on at least three sides of thebase.
 9. The cable conduit electrical box of claim 1, the base furthercomprising a central opening extending therethrough.